Shared usage telecommunications billing system and method

• US 8,073,119 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bevente, Guy, Paquette, Michael Thane, Koeppen, Gregg R., Moran, Douglas Robert, Roper, Danny Lee, Anderson, Jennifer Lynn, Wolken, Kimberly Renee
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US11/943,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20080069324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/114.01, 379/114.15, 379/114.17, 379/114.18, 379/114.2, 379/115.01, 379/121.01, 379/121.02, 455/405, 455/406, 455/408
• US Class Current: 379/121.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/52 for operator independent billing system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8257 Unit based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8285 Money or currency based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2006 Fixed telephone network, e.g. POTS, ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 : Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 : Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/52 : Interconnection, inter-exchange, reseller billing, billing agreements between different operators, e.g. billing identifier added on the CDR in order to cross charge the other operator, inter-operator accounting, reconciliation, bill directly resellers customers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 : Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 : Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 : Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7806 : Time based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/786 : Unit based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7893 : Money or currency based
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A telecommunications billing system includes a customer database, a usage database and a billing module. The customer database is configured to store subscription data identifying a pricing plan including an allotment of shared telecommunication units in connection with at least one of a first telecommunications service and a second telecommunications service. The usage database is configured to store a first set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the first telecommunications service and a second set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the second telecommunications service. The billing module is configured to calculate excess charges when a cumulative usage that includes a sum of the first set of telecommunications service usage data and the second set of telecommunications service usage data exceeds the allotment of shared telecommunications units.

Claims

1. A telecommunications billing system comprising:

a customer database configured to store subscription data identifying a pricing plan, the pricing plan including an allotment of shared telecommunications units for use in connection with at least one of a first telecommunications service and a second telecommunications service;

a usage database configured to store a first set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the first telecommunications service and a second set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the second telecommunications service; and

a billing module configured to;

access the usage database and the customer database;

calculate excess charges when a cumulative usage that includes a sum of the first set of telecommunications service usage data and the second set of telecommunications service usage data exceeds the allotment of shared telecommunications units; and

generate a unified invoice that includes a payment request for the excess charges.

2. The telecommunications billing system of claim 1, wherein the first telecommunications service is a wireless telecommunications service and the second telecommunications service is a land line service.

3. The telecommunications billing system of claim 1, further comprising electronically delivering the unified invoice to one or more subscribers.

4. The telecommunications billing system of claim 1, further comprising an error handling system configured to reconcile subscription data.

5. The telecommunications billing system of claim 1, further comprising a settlement system configured to transfer settlement reports to a provider of the first telecommunications service.

6. The telecommunications billing system of claim 5, further comprising a revenue tracking system configured to access the customer database and configured to access the settlement system, the settlement reports including revenue data generated by the revenue tracking system.

7. The telecommunications billing system of claim 1, wherein shared telecommunications units are allotted in conjunction with a monthly charge.

8. The telecommunications billing system of claim 1, further comprising an interactive voice response system configured to provide account data associated with the allotment of shared telecommunications units.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a selection of a pricing plan including an allotment of shared telecommunications units for use in connection with at least one of a first telecommunications service and a second telecommunications service;

receiving a first set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the first telecommunications service and a second set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the second telecommunications service;

determining a combined usage by combining the first set of telecommunications service usage data and the second set of telecommunications service usage data;

determining excess usage charges when the combined usage exceeds the allotment of shared telecommunications units; and

generating a unified invoice that includes a payment request for the excess usage charges.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first telecommunications service is provided by a first telecommunications service provider and the second telecommunications service is provided by a second telecommunications service provider.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising preparing a reconciliation report associated with the allotment of shared telecommunications units.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising allocating shared telecommunications units of the allotment of shared telecommunications units.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the unified invoice is generated based on the allotment of shared telecommunications units.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicating the combined invoice to a telecommunications service provider.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the telecommunications service provider is a local exchange carrier.

16. A computer readable medium including instructions executable by a processor to:

receive a selection of a pricing plan including an allotment of shared telecommunications units for use in connection with at least one of a first telecommunications service and a second telecommunications service;

receive a first set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the first telecommunications service and a second set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the second telecommunications service;

determine a combined usage by combining the first set of telecommunications service usage data and the second set of telecommunications service usage data;

determine excess usage charges when the combined usage exceeds the allotment of shared telecommunications units; and

generate a unified invoice that includes a payment request for the excess usage charges.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further including instructions executable by the processor to determine the excess usage charges using a common per unit rate for the first telecommunications service usage data and the second telecommunications service usage data.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions executable by the processor to determine the excess usage charges using a first per unit rate for the first telecommunications service usage data and a second per unit rate for the second telecommunications service usage data.

19. A method comprising:

receiving a selection of a pricing plan including an allotment of shared telecommunications units for use in connection with at least one of a first telecommunications service and a second telecommunications service, wherein the allotment of shared telecommunications units comprises a first group allotment and a second group allotment;

receiving a first set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the first telecommunications service, wherein the first set of telecommunications service usage data includes a first group of first telecommunications service usage data and a second group of first telecommunications service usage data;

receiving a second set of telecommunications service usage data associated with the second telecommunications service, wherein the second set of telecommunications service usage data includes a first group of second telecommunications service usage data and a second group of second telecommunications service usage data;

determining a combined usage by;

combining the first group of first telecommunications service usage data and the first group of second telecommunications service usage data to form a combined first group usage data; and

combining the second group of first telecommunications service usage data and the second group of second telecommunications service usage data to form a combined second group usage data;

determining excess usage charges when the combined first group usage data exceeds the first group allotment or the combined second group usage data exceeds the second group allotment; and

generating a unified invoice that includes a payment request for the excess usage charges.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining the excess usage charges using a first per unit rate for the combined first group usage data and a second per unit rate for the combined second group usage data.